Refrigerating mechanism



G. MUFFLY May 19, 1931.

REFRIGERATING MECHANI SM Filed Dec. 10, 1929 a m W W nnuh P H U NW:

Y l E1 MATTORNEY Patented May 19, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE GLENN MY, nmorr, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOB TO COPELAND PRODUCTS, nm,

A OOBPORATIOH OFIICBIGAN mmemrnwe an Application fled December- 10, 192a Berta! in. 413,102.

This invention relates to refrigerating mechanism, and particularly to the eva rating unit thereof and the connection b:- tween the evaporating unit and the compressing and condensin mechanism, the principal object being-t e rovision of a new and novel construction or these parts.

Another object is the provision. of a connection, of improved design between the m evaporator and the remaining mechanism of a mechanical refrigerat' mechanism, whereby a single tube only W111 be in. the refrigerating compartment the units. I V Another object is theprovision of a tube -within a tube connecting the inlet and outlet side of an evaporator of a mechanical refrigerator system with the condenser and compressor unit of such system. 7 Another ob'ect is the provision of an evaporating unit or a refrigerating system comprising a coiled tube open at one end only, and in which means are provided for .dis-

char 'quid refrigerant into or adjacent 26 to the c osed end thereof. Y

tween Another object is the provision-of an-evap the compressor b i a single hne of tubing extending throug the wall separatingthe cooling compartment from the unit compartment, and said sin le line of tubing enclosing therein a capil ary tube connecting the evaporator with the condenser.

Other objects of the present invention will be apparent from the following specification, reference being had to the accom panying drawings, in which;

59 Fig. 1 is a more or less diagrammatic apparent front elevation of a mechanical refrigerator of th e household type, the front face thereof bemg'broken' away to better illustrate the mechanism contained therein.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary partially sectioned view of the brine tank, and part of the cooperating mechanism "of the refrigerator shown in Fig. 1,'and taken as on the line 2-2 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view taken ason theline3-3ofFig. 2. Fi 4 is an enlarged sectional view taken axia y through the connection between the refrigerant feed and suction lines. I

In refrigerating mechanism .of the. mechanical refrigerating type, it is necessary to connect the evaporating unit with the; compressing unit and the condensing unit by a pair of-tubes or passages, one of which constitutes the. feed line for carrying the liquid refri rant to the evaporator,

and the other of w 'ch constitutes the suction line forcarrying away-the gasified refrigerant from the eva orator to the-com-- pressor. In conventiona constructions, these two tubesare formed entirely separate from each other, and separate assages are usually provided in any wal through which such tubes must be passed. One of the principal objects of the, present invention is to form such tubes in concentric relation, one

within the other, whereby, from the standpoint of appearance, but a single tube con-' nects the evaporator with the compressing and condensing mechanism, and which not only improves the appearance of the mechanism asa whole, but necessitates onlya single opening in any wall through which the tube must pass. I It is also conventional practice to emplo a coil of'tubing for the evaporating unit of ,a mechanical refrigerating system. In the use of such coiled tubing, it }s conventional practice to introduce the re the opposite end through the refrigerant suction line. A separate tube is thus pro-' vided connected to each end of the coil. It is another object ofthe present invention rigerant from the feed lme at one end of the coil, and to conduct the refrigerant gasified therein from to provide a construction of this type in which one end of the coil is permanently closed, the refrigerant being introduced into the closed end of the coil by means of a capillary tube extending through the coil from' nected to the condenser 16 which discharges into the receiver 17.

In the upper portion of the cooling compartment 11 is positioned the brine tank 18 of conventional construction, and incorporated therein are one or more conventional pockets 19 in which are received conventional freezing trays 20. Between the pockets 19 and the walls of the brine tank 18 is positioned an evaporator formed of a plurality of coils of tubing 21. The coiled tubin 21 is closed at its lower end as at 22 (see Fig. 3), and coiled upwardly therefrom to the upper end of the brine tank 18, through which it passes and extends downwardly as at 23. The tubing 23 extends downwardly through the insulated wall 24, separating the compartments 11 and 12, where it connects into a fitting 25, the interior of which is connected by the tube 26 to the intake side of the compressor 13. The fitting 25 is preferably rigidly supported from the receiver by means of a suitable bracket such as 31.

Any suitable or conventional type of suction controlled mechanism 27 may be connected, if desired, into the tubing 26 for controlling the operation of the motor 14. A so-called capillary tube 28 connected at one end to the receiver 17, extends upwardly therefrom into the fitting 25, where it is suitably sealed against leakage by means of a compression nut such as 29, ,and continues upwardly through the tube 23 and on through the coils 21 to a point adjacent the closed end 22 of the coils 21.

The tubing 28, which is of sufficiently small size as to permit ready passage of refrigerant between it and the interior walls of the tubing 23 and coils 21, is preferably of such a bore as to meter the liquid refrigerant from the receiver 17 into the coil 21 at the proper rate of flow required for suitable continual operation of the refrigerating mechanism. \Vhere it is not desired to depend upon the size of the tube 28 for controlling the flow of refrigerant to the evaporator, any suitable type of expansion or other control valve (not shown) may be inserted in the tubing 28 between the receiver 17 and the connection 25, to effect the desired control of the feed of liquid refrigerant to the evaporator.

In operation, liquid refrigerant from the receiver 17 is fed through the tube 28 to the closed end of the coil 21, where it is discharged into the interior of the coil 21. The liquid refrigerant thus discharged into the lower end of the coil 21 will tend to fill the interior of the coil and, in absorbing heat from the brine 30 within the brine tank 18, will be gasified and passing upwardly will be drawn from the coil 21 through the tube 23 through the tube 26 back to the intake side of the compressor.

With this construction, it will be apparent that as far as appearance is concerned, but a single tube connects the evaporator with the mechanism below the wall 24:, and that but a single passage must be provided in the wall 24 for the concentric tubes 23 and 28. This not only simplifies installation of the mechanism, but improves the appearance of the same considerably. Furthermore, in making the evaporator of the concentric tubes described, but one openin must be provided in the brine tank for t e passa e of such tube, which effects a saving in t e cost of production and renders the possibility of leaks at this point considerabl less. Furthermore, inasmuch as it is pre erable to form the tube 23 and the coils 21 from a continuous length of the concentric tubes described, there is no possibility of leakage of refrigerant in the compartment 11. Furthermore, due to the fact that there -is but one supporting connection between the evaporator and the walls of the brine tank, any expansion or contraction of the coils within the brine tank will have no tendency to loosen the connection or to induce rupture of the coils.

While I have shown the tube 28 as extending into closely adjacent relationshi with the closed end 22 of the coils 21, it will be obvious that it is not essential to the broader aspects of the invention that the tube 28 be extended fully to this degree, as satisfactory results may be obtained by stopping ofi the tube 28 between the ends of the coil 21.

These and other formal changes may be made in the specific embodiment of the invention described without departing from the spirit or substance of the broad invention, the scope of which is commensurate with the appended claim.

What I claim is:

In a mechanical refrigerating system, in combination, a cabinet provided with a cooling compartment and a unit compartment separated by a wall, an evaporator in said cooling compartment, a compressing and a evaporator, and means contro condensing unit in said unit compartment, a motor for driving said compressor, a pair of tubes, one positioned within the other for at least part of its length, extendin from said evapiorator through said wall an forming inta e and discharge passages for said evaporator, the outer of said tubes being connected to said compressor unit and the inner of said tubes comprising a capillary tube connected to said condensing unit and forming the sole metering means for controlling the flow of liquid refrigerant to said ed by variation in pressure within the outer of said tubes for controlling the operation of said motor.

GLENN MUFFLY. 

